week 2; monday, w/ the crafters

[alchemenace]

[ knock knock. who's there. magic door. magic door who? magic door is being opened by a tiny alchemist who makes bad life choices.

Which is to say, Varian had vaguely wanted to talk to the Crafters previously, but it's only after this weekend that it became a need. It's when he was thinking about it that the door showed up, and while he takes a moment to be properly awed, he's not nearly as hesitant as he should be when he pushes it open. ]

Uh. Hello?

Comments

[themodsgrimm]

How does any story begin?

[That said, she likely won't be answering any more on that.]

Without enough ink, there is no hope for continuing your stories. Interrupting the game is a poor choice.

[alchemenace]

Once upon a time?

[ look he is trying. and. geez. ]

So the game-- this war-- has to go on no matter what. Which means every week people kill and others die. And we can't... I can't affect this outside of accomplishing my objective. Is that it? That can't just be it.

[themodsgrimm]

[the gams]

Do you have an alternate proposal for what you'd like to accomplish?

[alchemenace]

[ there's a kind of helpless laughter he can't stop even if he wanted to. Does he have one? Not one he actually wants to do. ]

Anything! I would do anything if it meant I could save my dad, don't, don't act like you people don't know everything about us! I can't let it end here like this. And I can't... I can't just rely on other people to maybe pull this off so we all get home just fine!

[themodsgrimm]

[She frowns, eyes softening.]

... stories do not operate entirely based on one individual. Heroes, villains, civilians, they all play a part.

I cannot advise you to continue forward on your own like this. It will only hinder, rather than help, your goal.

I applaud individual ambition and endless pursuit of personal wishes and desires.

However those are so rarely accomplished by one's own strength alone.

[alchemenace]

...Yeah, I'm sure asking for help here will go so much better than in Corona.

[ did dragon ask him to be a sarcastic little shit. no. He is anyway. :/ ]

What could I even do? Convince everyone the only way to fix this is to let people do stuff like set someone on fire for ink? To just keep participating in this stupid war? Because I'm, I'm sure everyone will be okay with that!

[themodsgrimm]

[She frowns.]

I have been telling everyone who asks the same answer.

Maybe you only need to find those who will listen.

[alchemenace]

I don't exactly... have the best track record in finding people willing to listen to me. Especially when it matters.

[ he is just sayin? But he just wipes at his eyes (oops) and sighs because fine!! This is fine??? ]

And that's it? There's no other way around it, just... ink? What is this war even about anyway?

[themodsgrimm]

[ . . .

She waves her hand, and Varian will find a soft handkerchief in his grasp.]

The nature of good and evil, from what I understand. To determine which stories are worth preserving, and which are unnecessary.

... I do not like it very much.

But it is what we are given.

[alchemenace]

[ oh. Well now he feels a bit bad taking it out on her. But only. a little. He gives her an awkward smile ]

I don't like it much either, for the record. [ ... ] This might sound stupid, but. You and Tiger, you aren't... Beauty and the Beast, right?

[themodsgrimm]

[She's just been kind of watching and listening impassively but at the question she can't help herself--she bursts into laughter.]

Oh, no, sorry, not a stupid question--just funny!

[alchemenace]

[ if it gets laughed at it is a stupid question wtf ]

Um. Why?

[themodsgrimm]

It's sort of a "you had to have been there" kind of thing.

[But she's still smiling widely.]

No, that isn't us. We're just the Tiger and the Dragon.

[alchemenace]

Because of the whole... banished thing?

[ ??? genuinely but ok then ]

Are those your gifted titles, or were you always just Tiger and Dragon?

[themodsgrimm]

That's just who we are. This is our story, after all.

[alchemenace]

Then shouldn't you be in charge? [ a beat. ] Fully?

[themodsgrimm]

Us?

[She grins, but it doesn't seem like she's very happy at all.]

If characters could write their own stories, they'd all be quite different.

[alchemenace]

[ well. well. if he could, wouldn't he pick something else himself too? so he gets it.

... but. ]

... Then who's writing yours?

[themodsgrimm]

I wonder?

[Her smile turns sharper, but she offers no further clarity on the subject.]

[alchemenace]

[ hm bad ]

... Are we ever going to meet them?

[themodsgrimm]

[Hm.

She doesn't say anything. :)]

[alchemenace]

[ HM BAD ]

...Alright. Ominous.

[ ANYWAY!! ]

Why are we tied to another person? It doesn't fit the "theme" of... war game.

[themodsgrimm]

Every good protagonist has a foil.

[It fits the theme of...something?]

[alchemenace]

Except a protagonist doesn't generally work together with their foil.

[ he hates that he's indulging this narrative terms bullshit ]

[themodsgrimm]

Nobody said you have to work with your partner, really. You're just stuck with them.

[Sucks, don't it.]